A Surprise Ending
by A maze thing
Summary: When it’s time to collect the deal, some things have changed, and Sam has now become the target. Apparently someone’s gone back on their end of the bargain. NOT A DEATHFIC!
1. Chapter 1

Summary: When it's time to collect the deal, some things have changed, and Sam has now become the target

Summary: When it's time to collect the deal, some things have changed, and Sam has now become the target. Apparently someone's gone back on their end of the bargain.

A/N: This started out as a chapter story and a One Shot, but I decided to combine them. There will probably be 1 or 2 more chapters after this. I just wanted to get the first chapter up before the show did. **Not a Deathfic.** I just like a lot of suspense.

Chapter 1:

_Thursday 12:05 a.m._

Sam could feel the cold encase his body. He wasn't sure how this happened, but he was almost glad. This was how it was supposed to be, but he couldn't stop staring at his brother's frozen face. He could see the scream hiding behind his broken eyes. A cold tear ran down Dean's face as he tried to move towards his little brother. It was as though everything had slowed down and Dean was watching it all in slow motion.

Sam's knees buckled as the pain ripped through his body. His back smashed to the ground as his hands flew to his stomach. He knew that his forehead must have taken a good beating since wine red burned his eyes. He might have cared if his stomach didn't feel like it was on fire.

Sam felt Dean's hot breath on his face as he started to press hard against Sam's wounds. "Oh God! Sam! No!" Sam's eyes roamed the room not being about to see Dean clearly anywhere. "Stay with me Sammy!" His hands pushed harder onto the wound, forcing Sam to stay conscious.

The scratching of the Hellhounds' claws continued to echo throughout the room as they tried to finish what they started. Dean grabbed his cell phone as one of the dogs howled at them. Quickly dialing Bobby's number, Dean watched as he realized how much he screwed up this time.

_Wednesday 12:56 a.m._

"I'm so sorry Sammy." The words left his mouth as his eyes fell upon his little brother. He couldn't stay there and let his brother watch him die. If he was going to do this, he would do it away from Sam. He didn't want Sam to get hurt in the process.

His fingers grasped the doorknob, wondering what was waiting for him on the other side. He knew that Hell was going to suck, it was literally Hell, but his mind hadn't been able to grasp exactly what it would be like. He knew there would be a shit load of demons waiting to torture him for years, a demon even told him he would be ready and waiting.

As he stepped out of the room, Dean took one last look at his little brother, glad that there wouldn't be a chick flick moment. No mushy goodbyes. No tears. His eyes traced the lines of Sam's face, the way his hair stuck to his face as he slept, how his mouth was opened less than a millimeter, how he seemed so peaceful. He never wanted to forget that. This picture would be the thing imprinted in his mind as he endured Hell. Even if he became a demon, this one moment would always remind him what he really was. _Human._

The word echoed through the room. Sam had wondered if he was human. If he was good. If he was worthy of life. It was obvious Sam was worthy of Dean's life, at least according to Dean. Dean adored his brother and to see him question who he was, who they all knew him to be, tore Dean apart. Dean knew that Sam would always be good, no matter what, but could the same be said of Dean? After everything that happened in Hell, could he really still be the same being?

These questions landed on the floor in front of him. Dean turned back to the door and exited, stepping on the unspoken questions. His heart ached at the thought of being alone when he died, but how could he do that to Sam? He knew where he was going and knew that it would be a much shorter trip in the Impala, but it was just a nice night. His feet pulled him towards his destination, leaving his baby far behind. Sam would need her more than he would.

_Wednesday 7:32 a.m._

It was the damn birds again. Sam's eyes stitched themselves shut, trying to ignore the annoying sound coming from the birds. It seemed that whenever he wants to sleep they come and chirp in his ear, just to keep him from the thing he wanted. There was another chirp coming from only a few feet away. A mechanical chirp. Sam's arm shot out and grabbed the cell phone that started to move around the nightstand as it rang and vibrated.

"What?" Sam's voice was filled with sleep as he tried to remember what he should be doing.

"Sam? Where's Dean? I've been calling him for the past hour and he hasn't answered his phone." It was Bobby. That gruff and tired voice that only came from their friend: Bobby Singer. At his voice Sam's eyes shot out, realizing that this day was the end of the world. This day would be the thing that killed him. Today was Dean's last day.

Sam's eyes scanned Dean's bed, finding sheets thrown across the bed. He looked towards the bathroom and saw nothing. _He couldn't have gone out already. Could he? _It was strange for Dean to get up early. It was more than strange actually. It was damn near impossible.

"Sam? You still there?" Sam dropped the phone on his bed, not even noticing as it bounced towards the edge and ultimately falling off. The phone lay flat on the ground, almost like a dog playing dead. The only sign of life was Bobby's voice yelling from the other end of the line.

Sam ran to the bathroom, hoping that Dean was just standing there. He expected a giant smile on his face as he laughed at how ridiculous Sam was being. What he saw was completely different. The bathroom was empty. Void of all life.

He moved back into the room, about to grab his phone when something caught his eye. His brown eyes drew him closer to Dean's bed, trying to read the piece of paper that was left there. Sam's elongated fingers grabbed the paper and brought it closer to his face.

"_Dear Sammy,_

"_I'm sorry, but I can't just let you watch me die. You shouldn't have to see that. I'm going back. Back to the beginning. _

"_I know you're gonna be pissed, but this is what _I_ want. I really appreciate all you've tried to do for me, but it just wasn't enough. It wasn't your fault. It's what I want._

"_I love you Sam. Keep on fighting._

"_Dean."_

Sam's fingers crumbled the paper, wondering how the hell he would be able to find his brother before midnight. His fingers ran through hair, completely ignoring the fact that he needed a shower. He noticed his phone, still lying on the floor. Bobby was still barking out orders at him.

"Bobby?"

"What the hell Sam!? Why didn't you answer me!?" There was silence for a few moments. Sam didn't want to speak the words written in Dean's letter aloud. It would just make everything worse. Bobby absorbed the silence, realizing what Dean had done. "Did he tell you where he was going?"

"To the beginning," Sam's fingers tightened around the piece of paper, wanting to destroy it, but also wanting to keep it, hoping to hold onto Dean through it. He couldn't help but want to kill his brother and hug him until he explodes in his arms. Some emotions are just tied together.

Sam grabbed his duffle bag along with Dean's. _That lazy ass doesn't even take his own bag!_ Sam walked outside, the cell phone still clinging to his ear as Bobby rambled on about something Sam didn't care about. Sam started towards the road when something shiny and black caught his eye.

The Impala only lay about 30 meters away from where Sam stood, sunbathing as the sun continued its journey into the sky. "He left her."

"What?" Bobby's voice vibrated through the phone, actually catching Sam's attention this time. Sam walked towards the Impala in absolute awe as he answered Bobby.

"He left the Impala."

"What?! Why in the Hell would he leave his car!? How would he get to Mississippi without the Impala?"

"Who said anything about Mississippi?" Sam asked as he reached his hand into his pocket, pulling the keys out with it. _Dean must have given them to me before he left. Which was when? How early had Dean gotten up to leave me? How long has he been planning to leave me? It couldn't have been a spur of the moment thing. Could it?_

"Rosedale…Mississippi. The Crossroads. Where it all began." Sam wasn't listening. "Hello? SAM!"

"Ah, you don't have to yell. What?"

"Obviously I do since you haven't listen to a God damned thing I've said our entire conversation. I said Rosedale, Mississippi. The Crossroads. Where Dean sold his soul. That's where it all began."

"No it's not Bobby."

"What?! Where did it all begin then, Hot Shot?"

"Back home. In Kansas. He's heading to Lawrence."

_12:48 p.m._

Dean was only a few miles away from Lawrence. But once he got there, he really had no idea where to go. He couldn't go back to _his_ home; it was already someone else's. And he planned on going to Missouri's, and asking her to tell Sam a few things and to give him a few odds and ends, but not yet. It was too soon. She would tell Sam and then he would come running (driving) down there.

And Dean just couldn't let his brother watch him die. It nearly killed Dean, ripping his still-beating heart out of his chest and poking the insides to be correct, to watch Sam fall to his knees, dying. He could still feel the heat of Sam's body fading as he held onto him for dear life. The light that faded from his eyes, the blank stare that remained on his face. He couldn't bear to let his brother see that. No, Sam would not have to bare the same pain as Dean had.

He sat down on the curb, watching the cars drive by, letting the noise sooth him into tranquility. He started to think of the many things that he loved. Sam. His mother and father. Cassie. _Cassie…_ She was the only person that ever got so far under his skin that he felt safe enough to tell her his family secret. She was the loophole in his rule to keep his real life a secret. Cassie was the only one that made him think of coming home to a warm meal and going to a day job.

His fingers traced the buttons of his cell phone. He could see the small letters that spelt out her name along with her phone number. Dean wanted to call her, wanted to tell her that she was the only woman he truly loved, the only woman that really made him feel whole. But how could he call Cassie, but not Sam? Sam was his brother, the guy that loved him for everything he was and everything he wanted to be, while Cassie threw him out when he opened up to her. Sam fought to get Dean to open up, while Cassie closed him out.

What kind of brother would he be? Did he really want to die with Sam angry at him? Did he really want to die not ever truly closing it with Cassie? His cell phone felt like it weighed a ton, causing it to fall out of his hands.

It fell on top of the concrete ground, bouncing slightly, waiting for Dean to pick it up and make sure it was okay. He didn't. Instead a little boy, about six years old, ran over, picking up the phone, and handed it to Dean.

The little boy's face lit up, the glow from his eyes almost matching the bright blonde hair that lay on his head. Speckled across his face were summer freckles, only appearing as the sun beat down upon his face. He was missing one of his front teeth, almost looking like a hockey player that lost a fight.

His smile faded as he noticed the sullen look on Dean's face. Maybe if he was older the boy would have tried to comfort Dean or at least ask if he was okay, but the little boy just turned and ran away. His responsibility was only towards the ball that lay across the street, on the boy's front lawn.

Dean remembered his childhood. He was never able to really live like that little boy. He was always taking care of Sam and his father, making sure they were safe and as happy as he could make them. The only difference he had between Sam was that he wouldn't have his childhood any other way.

_1:02pm_

11 hours left. Sam knew that he needed to hurry. He wasn't that far from Lawrence a few hours at the most if this damn traffic didn't move. Sam never realized how much traffic there could be during the day. He figured everyone was at work and off the roads. His eyes shifted between his cell phone and the road, waited for one of them to move.

He wanted Dean to call him, wanted to hear Dean's voice, wanted Dean to tell him this was all a dream. Sam couldn't deal with the fact that Dean was dying. He tried to prepare himself, as did Dean and Ruby, but in the end, the brain can't function without the heart. If Dean was dead, then so would Sam.

The cell phone buzzed against the leather-lined seats of the Impala. Sam's brown eyes were ablaze as he quickly answered the phone, waiting for Dean's voice to echo through it.

Instead Bobby's voice greeted his ear. "Sam, I'm gonna be there in a few hours, you there yet?"

"No," the depression and disappointment were clear in Sam's voice.

"Sam we'll find him."

"That's not gonna change anything."

"Don't talk like that."

"Well Bobby, it's over. There's no way to save him. He's as good as dead." Sam couldn't believe the harsh words coming out of his mouth. Did he really believe that? Or was he just speaking the truth? "I'm sorry Bobby."

"Boy, if you give up on Dean, then you'll—"

"Bobby, I know. I'll call you when I find him. Bye."

"Bye Sam."

_2:49 p.m._

Before Dean's knuckle even hit the door he could feel a swift smack coming. He knew he was going to get it, but he knew he had to do this. He knocked, not really wanting to do this, instead of the ringing the doorbell, which would attract Missouri's attention quicker than knocking.

But all the same, there she stood. An angry glare already on her face as her eyes set upon him. He gave a sad smile, trying to lighten the mood, but he could almost feel her harsh unspoken words ripping him apart. "Hey Missouri."

"Dean Winchester." She moved away from the door, allowing him to enter. Dean stepped inside, making sure not to track any dirt or mud into the house as he did. He could see the annoyance on her face as she tried to hold back everything. She wanted to scold him for leaving Sam, for selling his soul, for being so damn self-destructive.

Dean sat down on the same couch he had sat in more than 2 years ago. He felt like he and Sam were back there, trying to figure out what was going on in their old house. He wanted to go back there. Back to simpler times.

"Dean, what are you doing here?"

His head popped up at her, not truly expecting that question. Dean knew that Missouri already knew what had happened, but he answered the question anyway. "I need you to do something for me. For Sam."

"What?"

"I need you to give him some things." He picked up the bag that he had placed on the floor subconsciously. His fingers led the zipper towards the other end of the bag, opening it up.

"Why are you doing this? Why did you run away from Sam?" Her voice was calm and quiet, the voice you would use to console someone who just lost their love. The voice she would be using for Sam when he got there, Dean knew it would be.

"You know why."

"No I don't."

"He doesn't need to see this. It'll just be too much."

"Then why did you make the deal to begin with?"

"Because I couldn't live without him!" his voice was harsh, tired of everyone asking him that question. Tired of trying to get himself to stop asking the question. _I did the right thing. _

"And what do you expect him to do?" Dean's head popped up, thoughts of Sam disrupted by her voice. Tears were threatening to escape, but he took in a deep breath, making sure they were secure. He hadn't expected Missouri to be so…calm. He thought she would be chewing him out, but really, all she wanted was to understand. "Do you expect him to just keep on living? To go back to college? To live with the knowledge that his brother, his hero is dead because of him? He has no family, no one to turn to!"

"Neither did I!" Dean didn't mean to be so rude, but he knew what he was doing was extremely selfish, and he truly didn't care anymore. "Sam was the only thing keeping me here after Dad died, the only thing keeping me sane, keeping _me_ alive. And then he leaves. Died in _my_ arms. How many times do I have to be abandoned before I have the right to be selfish?"

He paused, letting out a breath, still trying to hold back his tears. "Your father wouldn't—"

"My father!?" Dean stood up, throwing his arms into the air and taking an aggressive step towards Missouri. "The man that sold his soul for _me_? How is he any better?!"

Missouri's mouth opened to speak, but closed it quickly. She didn't know what to say. John truly wasn't any better, leaving such a burden on his son's shoulders and almost destroying Dean, body and soul.

"I had to live with the fact that he was dead because of me! Like father, like son." Dean let out another breath, this time calming himself down. He didn't like yelling at Missouri. He didn't like that he was making excuses and blaming his father. He hated feeling like he deserved to spend eternity in Hell.

"Then why?" Missouri's voice was barely a whisper, trying to sooth him.

"Why what?" His voice was still filled with anger.

"If you know the pain. If you know what it's like to have someone die for you. Why would you knowingly place that pain upon your brother?"

"Because he's my brother. I love him. I can't live without him." He paused for a moment, looking at the coffee table, but not truly seeing it. "When he went to college, those were the 4 most miserable years of my life. I _am_ being selfish." Revelation and hatred spread across his face, but he was too fast for Missouri. He ran past her and out the door, finally allowing the tears to stream down his face, staining the sidewalk leading away from Missouri's house.

Missouri stood at her door, watching as Dean continued to run down the street, hiding his face from the world.

"Bobby, I'm almost—"

"Samuel Winchester, how could you mistake me for Bobby Singer?"

"Missouri?"

"Yes, boy. Now when are you getting here?"

"Oh, Missouri." He paused, did she know about Dean? How was he going to explain all this to her? "Uh, something has—"

"Yes I know. Your brother has already been here to see me."

He went to Missouri's? Why? Why was she so much better than him?

"He's staying at the same motel you stayed at 2 years ago. He doesn't know that I told you that."

"Thanks Missouri."

"You're welcome." She paused a moment. "Oh, and Sam?"

"Yea?"

"Knock some damn sense into that brother of yours for me. Okay?"

Sam chuckled softly, half-heartedly. "Will do." And with that, the phone call was terminated.

_3:58p.m._

She could see how much it tore him up inside to watch his brother wither away. She could taste the bitter feelings and torment that ran through his veins as they waited for the end. The smell of fear from the elder brother made her feel warm. She couldn't get enough of it. It was almost as though she was at her highest peek of happiness.

She noticed the cold eyes in both brothers as they waited, but she knew something they didn't. In the end, Dean wasn't the true target. Sam was always the one. Always the one that actually mattered. Dean was just an annoying thorn in everyone's side, but he was tolerated. Sam, on the other hand, was always important. Just in this case, he was so important he needed to be killed, again.

She had guaranteed Dean 1 year in exchange for Sam to remain living. She hadn't cared; Jake looked to be the actual threat. When Sam killed him, she hoped that that was the end of it. No more "Boy King". The words ran off her mouth like vomit.

It seemed like Sam was not easily killed, but there was one thing that was on her side: the element of surprise. They knew she was sending the Hellhounds. They just didn't know that they were going after the younger brother.

A smile crept across her face as she continued to wait until midnight.

A/N: I'm not completely sure I got the brothers down. I really didn't know what Dean would leave in his letter to Sam, so if you guys have any suggestions I'm open to changing it. Thanks!


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks for all the reviews! And to all the silent readers! I really appreciate it! After watching the season finale I've been writing my little heart out, although I kinda put this chapter in the filler section. I hope it's not just filled with nothingness.

* * *

Chapter 2:

_4:01 p.m._

A loud knock echoed through the room. Dean's hand would have been placed firmly on his gun, hidden under his shirt, but he truly didn't care. He grasped the doorknob and pulled, his sullen green eyes meeting angry/happy brown eyes. Dean noticed, in that moment, that Sam was about 10 feet tall. He held himself high, demanding respect, but his chin was down, allowing people to open up to him. He was always able to comfort people, figure out the solution before it was too late, except this time.

Dean wasn't exactly sure what to do. _Hug? No, he's probably too pissed. Smartass remark? No, he's probably just holding back a yell, waiting for me to say something first._ Dean stared at his little brother, making a small smile cross his lips, hoping his brother wouldn't rip him a new one.

Sam moved into the room, dropping his bag on the floor. He moved towards Dean and pushed him lightly towards the bed, forcing him to sit there. Sam sat next to him, but angled his body so that he was facing Dean. There was a moment where it was quiet, peaceful, like how it used to be. But Dean's over-exaggerated sigh broke that, causing Sam to remember what he had planned to say the entire time he was driving there.

"Dean." Dean rolled his eyes, trying to act like the rebellious teenager. "Why—"

Dean stood up, moving to face Sam, "Dude, stop asking me. You know damn well why I sold my soul. You tried to do it yourself, remember? You ended up shooting the bitch instead! So don't you dare try to pretend that you don't know why I did this." He bit out every word, trying to calm his anger. He didn't know what he expected to happen, but he didn't want to go through this again.

Sam's eyes averted toward the floor. He remembered going to see the Crossroads Demon and coming up dry. He left with more bloodshed and a deal still intact. Dean wasn't too happy, but Sam just had to make sure he couldn't reverse the deal. He couldn't watch Dean die then, and he still couldn't.

"Dean that's not what I meant. Why did you leave?"

"You found my note, you should know." Dean's back was turned to Sam now; he didn't want to deal with this.

"I know, but why did you leave? I don't understand why you wanted to die alone."

"I didn't. I don't. I just…"

"Just what?"

"I just didn't want you to have that pain. I had to watch you die and it almost killed me. I need you to survive. I need you to keep living, to have that wife and the house with the white picket fence, with the 2.5 children. You deserve this. Not me."

"What makes me so much better Dean?" Sam stood up, grabbing hold of Dean's shoulders and spinning him around to face him. He could feel the pull of tears at the back of his eyes, but he ignored it. "Who are you to decide who is better? Who am I to deserve all this, when you've given yourself and more for me and Dad? You are better than any person on earth, sacrificing yourself for strangers. Why are you the one that has to die!?"

"Because…"

"Because why Dean?"

Tears were streaming down Sam's face as a tear ran down Dean's face. He wiped it away with the back of his hand, "Because I want this. You were always the one that wanted life. Well I always wanted _you_ to have one."

"Dean..."

"No, I decided a year ago that this is how it's gonna happen. So now we just have to wait for it to happen."

"But you always said you'd go down fighting."

"I also told you that Santa Claus wasn't evil. Hey, I lie."

_6:58p.m._

"Hey Bobby, where are you?"

"I'll be there soon. I got backed up. Have you found Dean?"

"Yea. I found him."

"Put that kid on the phone right now!"

Sam cringed slightly at Bobby's tone of voice. He knew Dean was about to get a mouthful, but he handed Dean the phone nonetheless. Dean, seeing Sam's reaction, shoved the rest of his hamburger into his mouth before taking the phone. "Hey Bobby," Dean spoke with food in his mouth, distorting it.

"Dean! What were you thinking?!"

There was silence on both ends of the line. Dean didn't want to answer and Bobby was waiting for one. "You had me and Sam worried sick. Don't do that again!"

"Don't worry, I won't have the chance to."

"Dean, don't say that."

"Yea. So you just wanted to scold me or did you have something to tell me?"

"Dean, I'll be there in a few hours. But I just wanted to tell you—"

"I know Bobby. I know. Call us when you get here." And the phone call was ended.

Dean moved towards the bed, lying down upon it. "I'm gonna catch some shut-eye. Wake—"

"What? Dean? Don't." Dean sat up, staring at his little brother. He had completely forgotten this was going to be their last night together. How could he just go to sleep like that? He couldn't be _that_ selfish.

Sam stared up at him from where he sat on the floor, his burger barely eaten. He didn't even know what they would do, but he just wanted to be with his brother. He wanted to remember everything there was about Dean. Sam wanted to remember Dean as the happy, smiling, smartass guy he grew up to love. And that's how he intended to make him feel tonight.

_

* * *

_

8:27p.m.

The two Winchesters sat at the edge of the roof top, watching the cascade of oranges, purples, yellows, reds, and so many other colors fall from the sky. The sun was close to disappearing, the yellow orb disappearing from view. Dean closed his eyes, wanted to remember that forever. He knew it would be his last.

Sam moved a little closer to Dean, their shoulders touching. He wanted to grab his brother and run. Just run. He didn't ever want to let his brother go. No matter what Dean or any demon said or did. "Sam."

"Dean."

"You need to go to Missouri's."

"Now? Why?"

"Not now. Later. After." Dean blinked at the bright colors, wondering if he was just imagining the sight, waiting for it to vanish with a blink of the eye. It didn't. "She has some things for you."

"Oh."

"Yea, I went to see her today."

"I heard."

"Oh." Dean's eyes shot to the corners, watching his little brother fidget as he thought of what was going to happen in less than 4 hours. He hated doing this to him, but what's done is done. "She called you?"

"Yea. Told me to 'knock some damn sense into you.'"

"Sounds like Missouri." Dean stood up quickly, turning away from his brother. He moved towards the door leading into the building. The dying sun burned his back, making him wonder what would happen when his fire faded and died. "Sam."

It wasn't a question; it was a statement, causing Sam to only turn around and remain silent. Dean looked over his shoulder at his little brother, but stared at the ground. "I'm glad you're here with me." And Dean disappeared down the stairs.

_

* * *

_

9:35p.m.

A knock at the door caused the Winchesters to stop their game of poker and stare at the door. They knew who was behind it. Dean didn't move; he knew that Bobby would be furious with him. He looked at his little brother, begging him to calm Bobby down. Sam, on the other hand, moved towards the door, wondering what Bobby would even say to Dean. Another knock, a lot harder this time, came along with a yell, "Sam! Dean! Open this door right now!"

Sam had to suppress a smile as he stared at their old friend, his face tinted red with annoyance. He gritted his teeth and greeted the youngest Winchester. He moved his hat away from his head and scratched at his scalp. "Hey Bobby," Dean said, trying to sound pleasant. He was still sitting on the ground, looking up at the elder man.

"You."

"Me."

"What were you thinking?"

"Well to be honest, Dean never thinks," Sam chimed in. He was trying to lighten the mood and calm Bobby down. He didn't want see Bobby chew Dean out right before he was about to die.

"Hey!"

"Well, no one knows you better then your brother," Bobby chuckled. He threw a bag at Dean, which landed on top of his crossed legs. "Why don't you get the rest of 'em?"

"What? Why can't Sam?"

"Because Sam wasn't the one that ran off. Now go!" Dean complied with Bobby, not wanting to make the older man anymore agitated than he already was. He left the room in a hurry, leaving the two men there to talk.

Sam watched the door shut and turned to Bobby, "That was a little harsh." He wasn't angry, but he didn't like the fact that Dean was depressed and possibly miserable before he was…

"Well he shouldn't have left," Bobby looked over at the door, almost as though Dean was still standing there.

Sam shook his head, remembering why Bobby kicked Dean out. The information that Bobby hopefully got. His eyes glanced over at the door and waited to see if his brother was going to come in. He didn't.

Sam turned to Bobby, "Did you find her?"

"Yea. And lucky for us—" Sam grabbed Bobby's shoulder and pulled him down to sit on the bed. Sam hushed him softly, not wanting Dean to hear anything they were saying if he reached the door. "Luckily, Lilith isn't too far. About 15 minutes away."

"Then we better get going," Sam stood up and grabbed his jacket, swinging it around his body and sliding it onto his shoulders. He was readying and reviving to go after Lilith, ready to save Dean, ready to forget about all this.

"Whoa, hold on there Tex. What do you think this is? A one night stand? We can't just up and leave Dean here. Alone."

"What do you expect me to do?" Sam stared at Bobby, his arms raised in aggravation. "Wait until he's dead to go and kill Lilith?!" He couldn't figure out why Bobby wanted to wait. He didn't want to sit on this information. For God's sakes, they only had 2 hours left!

"No! But we can't leave him here. He's already shooting half-cocked. How many hallucinations has he had already?"

Sam stared at Bobby and then at the floor; he didn't even realize that Dean had been hallucinating since he found him, but he wasn't with him the entire day. What had Dean seen the entire day? Is that why he didn't drive? Was he afraid that he couldn't even trust his own eyes? "I…I don't know."

"Don't worry, Sam. I have a plan."

"That's surprising," Dean entered the room, two bags slung over his shoulder as he stood in the doorway.

"Dean, uh—"

"So what's the plan?" Dean waited to hear their plan.

Bobby stared at Sam, raising his eyebrow in question. Sam nodded his reply. Dean's eyes shifted between the two, waiting for an answer. He cocked his eyebrow.

"We found Lilith," Sam started.

"And…?"

"And I think if we can find her and kill her, we can save you," Sam continued.

"One question," Dean paused, closing the door and dropping the bags to the ground. Nothing was ever that easy. "And how are _we_ going to kill her?"

"Well, uh." Sam looked at Bobby; he really didn't know how they were going to kill Lilith. Just the thought of finding her got him excited. Sam didn't even realize he was going to go into this without a plan, without thinking it through. But Dean was worth it.

"Okay Bobby. What was that plan you were talking about? Or do you think she'll just let me go if we ask her nicely and maybe we could have a tea party afterwards." Dean rolled his eyes, making sure they both knew that he wasn't liking where this was going.

"The Colt."

"What?" Sam asked, completely caught off-guard.

"Dude, the Colt is as dead as Bela for God's sakes. What the hell do you mean 'the Colt'?"

"I mean, Lilith has the Colt. If we could get it, we could get rid of her and maybe that'll break the deal."

"Oh, that's a great idea! Because I know Lilith will just hand over the God damned gun to us! Oh, and next you'll tell me if I click my heels three times I won't have to go to Hell either."

Even Sam cocked his head and stared at Bobby, trying to figure out how that plan would work. Maybe all these years of hunting have finally caused Bobby to go insane.

"Hey, I'm not the idiot that sold his soul to begin with so shut up so I can explain," Bobby's voice was harsh, but softened quickly as he continued. "We need help. Some demonic help."

"No!"

"Dean—"

"No, you are not summoning that bitch! Over my dead body!"

"Dean we don't have another choice!"

"Sam I said no."

"Screw you Dean!"

"What?" Dean stared at Sam, noticing all the harsh lines that crossed his face. The angry stare, his hands balled into fists. Sam took a step towards Dean, standing his ground.

"You heard me. Screw. You." He gritted out of the words as if they were their own sentences. "I don't know what the hell you are even thinking! We have a way to save you! And you refuse? Stop being so damn self-righteous, and actually care that you're about to die! I don't care what Dad said! Not all things supernatural are evil! Ruby can help and if you don't want to be a part of this, fine. But don't you dare try to stop us!" Sam pushed his way passed Dean and out the door, followed shortly by Bobby.

Dean was left alone to think. "She can't save me."

He knew that if they tried this, it could get Sam killed. Or Bobby. He wasn't willing to risk them, but if he didn't go they would still go. And in the end, Dean wouldn't be there to back them up. He rolled his head, trying to figure out what to do, but after all he knew he was going to go on with the plan. There was nothing else he could do.

_

* * *

_

10:17p.m.

Dean's eyes were on his watch the entire time. _One hour and forty-three minutes._ It seemed like such a short time to actual take out a demon, nonetheless the one that wants Sam's insides on the outside. It also left little time to get Ruby's help, but, of course, she wasn't cooperating. "This is suicide."

"See Sammy, even she agrees with me," Dean spoke from where he sat, in a wooden chair a few feet away from where Ruby and Sam stood. Bobby glared at Dean, but returned his stare to Ruby.

"Are you even gonna listen to me this time? Since last time, you two decided you knew better and got everyone killed," she cocked her head at Sam, trying to figure out if he was ready. If he was ready to lose his brother, to fight Lilith, to survive. She knew how to save Dean, how to kill Lilith, but there were a few things that would stand in their way.

"I told you she wouldn't help."

"Oh, shut up Dean. If you're not gonna help go sit in the car," Bobby's voice was harsh and he was fed-up. If Dean didn't want to save himself, he wasn't going to stop Bobby and Sam. Bobby was going to try to save Dean and Sam. He saw the pain that Dean went through, and he knew that Sam would definitely take it harder than Dean. Bobby just hopped that Sam wouldn't become Dean afterwards.

"Yea, Dean. If you can't play nice, don't play at all," Ruby coo-ed.

Dean rolled his eyes and looked at Ruby. "Alright, bitch." He stood up and moved closer to her. He wasn't sure if he was doing this for Sam or for himself. "Obviously you don't know how to save me, and God forbid anything that comes out of your mouth isn't just hot air. So either you help us take on Lilith, or I could exorcise you right here and be done with you."

"If you exorcise me, then what's the point in even asking for my help?" Ruby's stare turned to Dean, smiling. She really hated when he talked.

"Hey, you've got some serious supernatural-mojo going on with your knife. Either we let you keep it and you help us. Or I exorcise your ass all the way back to Hell and we take it." Dean moved back to his chair and picked up his father's journal. His fingers flipped through pages until he found the page he needed.

Ruby's eyebrow furrowed and she started to charge at Dean, but after a few steps she stopped. There was something keeping her from him. She looked up and noticed in red spray paint a Devil's Trap. "Oh, real clever Winchester."

"Obviously since you fell for it." A smirk grew across his face at the annoyance on Ruby's face.

Sam moved forward. "Ruby, just help us. It'll be better if you're with us."

Her glare turned towards Sam. "There's another way you can save Dean."

Dean had peered down at his watch, 10: 22 p.m. _One hour and 38 minutes._ He looked up at Ruby, waiting to hear the other option. He knew he probably wouldn't like it, probably had to do with some sort of Pagan sacrifice where they had to slaughter livestock. His eyes showed his eagerness; he didn't like their first plan, so maybe this would be a little better. Dean didn't want to die and if there was a guaranteed way to save himself, he would take it.

Something hit him. He remembered what Ruby said months ago. _"There's no way of saving me from the pit, is there?"_

"_No."_

"_Why'd you tell Sam you could?"_

"_So he would talk to me."_

"You said you couldn't save me."

"Well I lied."

Dean gave a huff and an "I told you so" look towards Sam. "How can we trust you?"

"You can't trust anyone. But I do know how to save Dean. And all you need is one person." She paused and stared at Sam.

"No!"

"Hey, you're the one that wants to live. Sam can kill Lilith. Why do you think she wants to kill him? She's afraid of him. Of his power. He could take her out without moving a finger. He just needs to tap into his power."

"No. Sam's powers are gone. They left with the yellow-eyed sonuvabitch."

"No, they're dormant," she turned her attention to Sam, softening her face and her eyes. "I can show you what to do. And you can kill her Sam. You can save Dean."

"No! Sam, you're not doing this." Dean slammed John's journal onto the ground and walked over to Sam. "You can not sacrificing yourself for me." He grabbed hold of his little brother's arm and pulled him towards the door.

Sam didn't move. "Dean, if this can save you, then I think—"

"Can't you see? She's just using you! She just wants you to become her psychic sidekick to destroy Lilith! She's gonna get you killed, and I'm not letting you die trying to save me." Dean grabbed the journal and turned away from Sam. He started to read the Latin incantation and Ruby started to grunt and growl against the pain.

"Fine! I'll help you! But you do know you're getting your brother killed." She really wasn't speaking to just Dean, but to Sam as well. She didn't want Dean to die; Sam may not be able to survive and destroy Lilith after that. But maybe, if Dean did die, she'd be able to persuade him into listening to him.

Sam moved towards her, breaking the Devil's Trap by breaking the wooden planks of the old building. Dean didn't turn around. _You're getting your brother killed. _"I know."

* * *

A/N: I used some ideas and quotes from the season finale. I hope no one is really annoyed with that!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Sorry this took awhile. I've been pretty busy with all my exams coming up. sigh But I'll hopefully get the epilogue up soon! I hope you enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 3:

_11:11p.m._

"Make a wish."

"I wish you would shut up."

"Hey, I'm the one that's about to die, so I have no idea what you're mad about."

"Uh, did you not just try to exorcise me?"

"Okay, I did, but hey, if you just said yes—"

"Oh, both of you shut up before you get us _all_ killed!" Bobby's gruff voice broke up Dean's and Ruby's bickering. He had a bad urge to just smack both of them up side the head, but he restrained himself. He turned back to Sam, who had been standing next to the car, loading up his gun.

"Bobby, what if this doesn't work? What if we can't save him? Bobby, I don't kno—"

"Sam, we'll save him," Bobby knew he shouldn't say things he knew he wouldn't be able to back up, but he just couldn't deal with the look upon Sam's face. It was sad—melancholy—with the giant puppy eyes, and the tiny spark in his eyes that was slowly fading. It crushed him to watch Sam wither away like this. It was almost as though Dean was taking Sam with him.

"Alright. We ready to kill some demon-sonuvabitches?" Dean asked, walking over to Sam and Bobby, Ruby following behind him, fashioning an angry scowl. She stared at Sam, gritting her teeth, mentally beating the crap out of all of them for being so ignorant. She knew that this plan wouldn't work. She just hoped that there would only be one casualty tonight. Only Dean.

Sam slammed the trunk of the Impala closed and they moved towards the house Lilith was in. Bobby moved in front, followed by Ruby. Sam fell in step with his brother. "Dean, if this is the last time…well I just wanted—"

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no. You're not gonna bust out the misty goodbye speech. Okay? And if this is my last day on earth, I do not want it to be socially awkward."

"Dean…"

"No, Sammy. I'm serious. If I go out, then I'm going out without a teardrop. I ain't gonna listen to your goodbye speech. It just isn't something I'm willing to do." Dean quickened his pace, leaving Sam behind him. It was the first time in the 23 years that they've been together that Dean has actually deliberately left Sam behind. He just couldn't deal with seeing the pain in his little brother's eyes as he said goodbye. That would have to wait until he was gone.

_

* * *

_

11:31 p.m.

They all looked at each other; it might be the last time they got to see each other. All eyes went to Dean. He felt the pressure. He had less than half an hour. He couldn't count on his fingers how many times he looked at his brother and father and wondered if he'd ever see them again. Dean looked at his brother and saw everything he wanted to say, but was suppressing it, for Dean's sake. He smiled at his little brother for the small favor.

Ruby, rolling her eyes, turned to Sam and silently begged him to not do this. She was willing to sacrifice Dean to make sure Sam was ready. She didn't want Sam going in there and getting himself killed, trying to save his brother. It was a stupid idea. Ruby was just content, sort of, that she was there to back him up.

Dean turned back towards the house, eyeballing it. He wasn't sure exactly what he was going to see when he got in there, but he wasn't expecting sunshine and unicorns. He waved at his brother and Bobby, signaling that they were ready to attack.

Bobby went first, wary of everything that surrounded him. His fingers twitched a little as he tried to unlock the door, as quietly as he could. The three others stood around, looking around for any supernatural signs. There were none. At least none visible to them.

He felt the door unlock and looked up at Dean. He nodded, signaling Dean to enter the house, but his eyes told Dean to stay away. Bobby couldn't stand to lose Dean; he had become a son, along with Sam. He couldn't watch him just throw himself away. It tore him apart to see him so broken over Sam's death. Now, everything was just so much worse. He wasn't sure if Sam was going to be able to bare this, especially the fact that Dean was going to Hell. At least (he knew) Sam had gone to a better place, with the rest of his family.

Dean pushed past Bobby—ignoring his silent plea—entering the house. Instantly he knew it was the right house, it was oddly cold in the house and he could smell decaying bodies. He really hoped that they hadn't been there too long.

He realized that Bobby and Sam had the same reaction to the house; both of them greeted it with a disgusted face and noise. Ruby, on the other hand, didn't seem to notice or care about the smell.

Dean continued into the house, noticing how picturesque it was. Tan walls, covered with pictures of a family: a mother, father, and three children. All the furniture matched, everything seemed so homey, so peaceful, so happy. Dean could feel the noose tighten around his heart as he wondered how his mother would have designed their house.

He shook his head as he tried to remember what he was doing there. He waved his gun in the direction of the stairs, trying to follow the smell and the faint whimper. Dean could hear someone, barely even breathing, but it just seemed like everything was bounding into his head. _One of the side effects of selling your soul?_

It seemed all too easy. There had to be a trap or something. But to Dean's and the other's knowledge there was nothing.

As Dean moved towards the stairs, directly in front of them, Bobby moved towards the doorway leading to the back of the first floor. Sam followed Dean, not wanting to leave him for a moment. Sam turned to Ruby, telling her to follow Bobby, but she shook her head. If she was going anywhere, it would be with Sam. She wasn't about to let him get killed that easily.

The walls of the staircase were deep blue, with a white ceiling. It seemed so innocent, so natural, that it was almost impossible to think that anything horribly wrong was going on until they got to the hallway. There was blood splattered everywhere, some of it smeared across the walls as if a little child was trying to paint with it.

Laying a few feet away from the top of the stairs was the source of the horrible smell. A woman, about 20 years old, lay dead on the carpeted floor. A stained pool of blood surrounded her as flies flew around and repeatedly landed on the corpse.

The three continued down the small hallway, following the faint whimper that steadily grew louder. It seemed to come from the only closed door in the hallway. Dim light shown through the cracks, which also lay over the corpse, her eyes shiny and glossy.

The three tried to ignore it and the smell as they continued down the hallway in silence. Dean had a sense of being an FBI agent at that moment. Not the real ones, the ones you see on TV. The FBI agents that always got the bad guys at the end of the episode; that snuck around a house and captured the suspect with 10 minutes to spare. Dean just hoped that for once, life would be like it was on TV.

Ruby could feel Sam's anticipation ooze off of his body, along with excitement, worry, guilt, and grief. She knew he thought he was ready to kill Lilith and save Dean, and she really didn't want to see him crushed, but she knew what was going to happen. She knew Dean was walking into a death trap, and all she could do was save Sam.

He watched Dean move past the corpse and towards the whimpering. He had heard it from downstairs, but Sam didn't understand why it was so loud. You would think a whimper was quiet, but it seemed to keep the same tone and volume in the entire house. He watched as Dean's back lent against the wall as they continued down the hallway.

_

* * *

_

11:51 p.m.

Lilith stood next to the small girl. Her fingers ran through the girl's hair—normally a feeling of calm came with this motion—but it only caused the girl to cry and whimper even more. She rolled her eyes; it would feel so good just to rip the little girl's throat out, but she had to wait. The girl was drawing the Winchesters to her, and she knew that patience was a virtue.

Lilith's eyes moved to the door as she realized that the Winchesters were close. The only problem was Ruby. She was so damn persistent. She just couldn't except that Sam wasn't going to stop her; Lilith would win. They both knew it.

Her meat suit's red hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail, kept out of her face. She would be ready and waiting to wipe out Sam Winchester, Boy King, even with the semi-annoying, semi-enjoyable shrieks from her puppet. She really did enjoy hearing the human's soul whimper and scream at what was happening to her family. First she had killed their 22-year-old daughter, about four days ago. Then she moved onto her husband. Her twelve-year-old son. And now, all that was left, was the small four-year-old girl that sat next to her.

She heard the door handle jiggle as the Winchesters began their journey into Hell. Her feet moved swiftly and hastily towards the bed that lay a few feet away. There was nothing that said she couldn't have a little fun before she got rid of her only threat.

_

* * *

_

11:53p.m.

Dean and Sam both looked at their watches, eyes widening as they realized how little time was left. It was do or die time. Sam hoped it wasn't the latter.

Dean grabbed the door knob, turned it slowly and opening the door, equally as slow. He could feel his breath catch in his throat. It was all about to end. No matter what, something was going to end. He was never afraid of death. Even when he only had a few months to life, he joked and fought, but he was never truly scared.

Now he could feel fear constrict his heart, lungs, and limbs. He knew it was almost his time. He couldn't help, but wish this was a horrible dream. The fact that Hell was what awaited him scared him. Before it was his assumption, but now it was a fact. There was no getting out of it. Unless they killed Lilith, and that wasn't even a guarantee.

The room suddenly became dark, no lights were on, and the only window he saw was covered by drapes. The only thing for certain was that the little girl was in the room. He rushed forward, not thinking for a moment to look around for Lilith or any other demon for that matter. All he could think of was getting the little girl out before something horrible happened. He didn't care if he died right there; if these were his last moments, he wanted to go out knowing that he saved that little girl, or at least tried. He'd rather die a hero than the cautious coward.

"Dean!" Sam hissed in a hushed whisper. His brother was so reckless sometimes.

Dean's arms wrapped around the little girl, hushing her quietly, trying to protect her from her fears, trying to help her calm down. It was at that moment, a moment too late, that he noticed a woman lying on the bed. She remained staring at him, her eyes turning a milky white. Of course, the one time Dean didn't check first, the demon has to be sitting right there.

* * *

Bobby threw cans and boxes and anything in his way onto the floor. He was searching for the Colt. He knew Ruby's knife wouldn't be much help, since they would have to be breathing down Lilith's neck to kill her, but it was the only thing they had. But if they had the Colt, then they have a better chance of survival.

The kitchen, living room, and dining room were empty. The last place to look was the basement, besides the upstairs. The stairs creaked and moaned as he went down them. Not to Bobby's surprise, the back of the stairs were exposed, making it easy for someone to grab his leg and send him tumbling down the stairs. But, luckily, that didn't happen.

Instead, he made it to the bottom, pulling the chain that hung from a light bulb in front of him, illuminating the room. He moved towards a work bench, tearing drawers away, dumping them out, and not finding the Colt. Bobby, growing move and move frustrated, threw one of the drawers at the wall.

When the drawer connected with the wall, there was a hollow sound. Faint, but Bobby was able to catch it. He loosed his grip on his gun, flipping it so that he was holding the barrel, and smashed at the wall with the butt of the pistol. The wall broke away quickly, showing a long box, long enough to fit the Colt.

* * *

Dean could feel the life slowly drain from his face as his back was super glued to the wall by Lilith's power. It was like the yellow-eyed demon was back. Sam's face turned grave as he too was pinned to the wall, a few feet away from Dean. A tear tore down Sam's face as he realized how much they screwed up. Dean fought back his own tears as he knew that his brother was going to watch him die, and would probably die himself.

"Hey, bitch. Remember me?" Ruby stormed into the room, pulling her arm back and springing it forward, releasing the knife that was in her grasp. The knife flew through the air, straight for Lilith's face, but delicate hands grabbed it instead. Lilith smiled brightly, gave a little chuckle, and threw the knife back at Ruby. The knife lodged into her right shoulder, glowing shortly.

Ruby stumbled backwards, stunned for a moment. "Did you really think that little thing could kill me? This is the major leagues, you're gonna need a little more than that to do anything substantial." Lilith took a few steps toward Ruby until she was standing a few feet away. She grabbed the hilt of the knife and pushed, forcing it to dig deeper into Ruby's flesh.

There was a short agonizing yelp that escaped Ruby's lips. She quickly bit down on her lip, silencing her cry. She gritted her teeth and glared at Lilith. "You're just an unnecessary evil." Lilith rose her hand and a blinding white light erupted from her hand.

Ruby's eyes widened in fear, not for herself, but for Sam. Ruby wouldn't be there to show Sam how to kill Lilith, and Lilith was probably going to kill him right after Dean was dead.

Lilith placed her hand upon Ruby's head and instantly she fell to the floor, eyes frozen open. Her body convulsed and blood oozed from her mouth and eyes. Lilith turned away, smiling. "Hello Samuel. It's nice to finally meet you. I've been waiting for this."

"Oh God, she's gonna try to bore us with conversation. Is it in the evil demon job description that you need to monologue or have conversations with the people you're about to kill?"

"Oh, do you ever shut up? For the sake of the little sanity you have left, just shut it. My Hellhounds will be ripping you apart in about," she stopped and looked at the clock on the wall, grinning widely as she knew the two brothers were squirming. "Oh, look, 2 more minutes. Time flies doesn't it?"

She glanced to Sam, but turned back to face Dean. "Just a heads up, the worst pain imaginable is coming for you. Even after my Hellhounds are done, the pain isn't going to stop. You'll be screaming for mercy for the rest of eternity. I hope you enjoy your future," Lilith sneered, she truly wasn't talking to Dean. There would be a huge surprise when Sam is being torn to shreds instead of Dean.

"Oh Sammy. Don't get all depressed and sad on us. Your brother asked for this. If he had just done his job to begin with, you wouldn't have died, and Dean wouldn't have to face Hell so early on in his pathetic little life."

Sam gritted his teeth; he truly didn't have the energy to think of a comeback. He glared at her, daring her to try something, to kill him. But something stopped this. His eyes widened and tore to his brother. The clock struck midnight and started chiming.

_

* * *

_

Thursday 12:00 a.m.

"No, Dean. No!" Sam cried as he heard the howls and growls of the Hellhounds. Dean's sullen eyes turned to Sam, silently telling Sam he did all that could be done. That Sam had to carry on without him. He needed Sam to understand that it was no one's fault, but his own.

Dean closed his eyes as he fell to his feet. They shot open again and looked at Lilith with a questioning look. "Oh, believe me," Sam too now fell to the ground, released from the invisible bound, "it's _so_ much more entertaining to watch you fight for your life."

Lilith turned towards the doorway, seeing her large black pets standing there, a few feet away from where Ruby lay. Sam's eyes widened in confusion as he saw the black dogs. He hadn't seen them the last time he faced them, back in Mississippi. He quickly looked at Dean.

Dean squinted at the doorway; he could hear the Hellhounds, but he couldn't see them. _Weren't you supposed to be able to seem them when they come for you?!_ The fear rose in him as he wondered if he was going to be attacked by invisible dogs. But another thought hit him. _Maybe I'm not the target._

Sam turned his attention to the Hellhounds, his eyes traveling to Ruby's dead body. It had stopped seizing, but he noticed something small in her hand. It was a bag, a hex bag. Something that could stop the Hellhounds.

He rushed forward, his knees sliding against the carpet as he stopped right next to Ruby's body. His fingers encased the bag seconds before the Hellhounds broke into a run at him. He could hear Dean's voice echo in the room. "Sammy! No!"

He felt one of their claws rip through his stomach, another hit his face. He ignored the pain as he threw the dark rocks at the Hellhounds. Surprisingly, they backed away quickly, trying to get the rocks off their face. Sam quickly drew a line with the black rocks in front of him, blocking the Hellhounds from entering the room. Unlike the salt lines, the Hellhounds couldn't break it away.

Sam could feel the cold encase his body. He wasn't sure how this happened, but he was almost glad. This was how it was supposed to be, but he couldn't stop staring at his brother's frozen face. It hurt to turn, but he wanted to see his brother before he went.

He could see the scream hiding behind Dean's broken eyes. A cold tear ran down Dean's face as he tried to move towards his little brother. It was as though everything was moving in slow motion and Dean was watching everything fall apart.

Lilith smiled, swimming in the despair and desperation that filled the room. The horrified look on Dean's face, the sad and pained eyes of the Boy King. She took a sniff at the air, just like a dog, trying to smell the sweet stink of death. She allowed the Hellhounds to scratch at their barrier, but only for so long. They were going to finish the job soon enough.

Sam tried to stand up, but his knees buckled as the pain ripped through his body. His back smashed to the ground as his hands flew to his stomach. He knew his forehead must have taken a good beating since wine red burned his eyes. He might have cared if his stomach didn't feel like it was on fire.

Sam felt Dean's hot breath on his face as he started to press hard against Sam's wounds. Sam lurched forward against the pain, letting out a grunt. He almost felt pleasure from the pain; he was saving his brother after all.

"Oh God! Sam! No!" Dean couldn't believe what was going on. It was as though a sick joke was being played on him. The deal was his soul, not Sam's. This wasn't how it was supposed to be!

Sam's eyes started to roam the room, not really seeing anything anymore. He searched for Dean, but he couldn't see him clearly anywhere. "Stay with me Sammy!" Dean pushed harder onto Sam's wound, causing his eyes to bulge out their sockets in pain.

The scratching of the Hellhounds' claws continued to echo throughout the room as they tried to finish what they started. Dean pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed Bobby's number quickly. One of the Hellhounds howled, left ignored by the brothers. "Bobby. Sam. Help! Please!" All the words were jumbled together in his frenzied state. He hung up the phone before Bobby could even say anything. Dean watched his little brother as he realized how much he screwed up this time.

_

* * *

_

12:07a.m.

Bobby's hand cocked the gun; he wasn't sure what to expect. He was excited since Dean called him after midnight, signaling he was alive, but the frantic panic in his voice made him worry. There was no way that Sam tried to take on Lilith. Was there?

The Hellhounds howled and for a moment, Bobby took a few glances around to look for them. He moved past the rotting corpse, trying to ignore the horrible smell and scene. His eyes glanced into the room, noticing deep claw marks on the ground which continued to appear. He knew he was in the right room.

"Sam! Come on, not again." Dean started to rock back and forth with Sam's head on his lap. Sam tried to keep his eyes focused on Dean, but he started to feel tired. His eyes started to roam again, not staying on one object for more than a few seconds.

Lilith laughed, "Oh, you are too fun to play with."

Dean gritted his teeth. He tried to block out everything: the Hellhounds, Lilith, the house. He just wanted to be with Sam. He was given a year, not Sam. _What had gone wrong?_

Bobby crept forward, angling himself far enough away from the Hellhounds, but close enough so that he had a clear shot of Lilith. His eyes targeted her chest, her heart. He took aim and fired.

Dean's teary eyes tore away from Sam and up to Lilith. Blood spurted from her chest, golden light escaping for a few moments. Lilith glared angrily at the Winchesters and then looked up at the ceiling. She opened her mouth and black smoke exited out. The woman Lilith had possessed fell to the ground, bleeding out.

The black smoke escaped through the cracks of the window. The Hellhounds ceased barking and scratching and they seemed to disappear completely. Bobby ran forward, ignoring Ruby's body and the dying woman he just shot. He slid to his knees next to Sam. "What in the Hell happen?!"

"Bobby, I don't know. Just help me get him to the car." Dean's voice cracked with pain, frustration, and fear. His voice almost turned into a screech as the tears flowed from his eyes. He couldn't watch his brother die a second time.

Dean turned back to Sam, "Sammy," his voice was calm and soothing, masking his fear, "we're gonna take you to a hospital. It's gonna hurt like Hell, but just stay with us. Okay?"

Sam closed his eyes and opened them again; he would have nodded his head, but his head was hurting. He tried to see past the pain and the blood, but his vision was blurred. His lips turned into a grin as he let himself relax in his brother's grip. Sam really did save Dean.


	4. Epilogue

I wasn't sure how to end it, so I hope you enjoy this! Please comment!

* * *

Epilogue:

_Thursday 12:30 p.m._

"Dude," Sam's voice was barely audible. He hadn't realized how hard it was to talk when his mouth was watery over a cheeseburger, French fries, and a nice cold beer. The mountains on the Coors Light bottle had turned blue already! He continued, a little louder this time, "Give me some of that!"

"No, get your own. I'm not eating the crap they have in the cafeteria. I've got me some real food." Dean shoved a handful of French fries into his mouth just as Bobby came walking into the room.

"Well I see Sleeping Beauty is awake." Bobby smiled, sitting down in the chair next to Sam.

"Hey, I do recall there was a time when you were in a coma."

Bobby ignored Sam's remark and turned his attention to the foot of Sam's bed and glared at Dean. "What?"

"You're eating that? Here?" Bobby spotted the beer. "How did you even get that in here? Stole it from a recovering alcoholic?"

Dean smiled, "Actually I just put it in a brown bag and said it was for my sick brother."

"Yea, that was before or after you had some fun with my nurse?" Sam chimed in.

"Both."

"Ew."

"You asked."

"Lesson learned." Dean rolled his eyes and turned back to his cheeseburger. He shoved the rest of it into his mouth, ending all communication to him for the moment. The Coors Light chased the cheeseburger almost immediately, emptying the bottle quickly.

"Dude, it's been a long morning."

"Yea," Sam turned to the IV bag that dripped down the tube and into his arm. He watched his heart beat for a few moments, getting lost in his thoughts as he watched the line turn into mountain ranges.

"Well I'm glad that you're awake, Mr. Berdeu. Thought that the medication might have been too high, but everything seems in order." A male doctor, about 40 years of age, stood in the doorway. His already balding hair was black with gray streaks littered throughout. His face seemed bright, but behind his mask he was tired and agitated. Years of late nights and 2 divorces already got to him.

The giant bags under his eyes drew the attention away from his bright blue eyes—sky blue. His lengthy body was straight and narrow, but he hunched over a little. The doctor never really liked being so tall.

"We're going to keep you here for a couple of days. I want to make sure that you're perfectly fine when you leave here." The doctor didn't know what to say. The boy seemed perfectly fine; after having been attacked by a wild animal and dealing with the pain, he seemed to be doing okay. Most people would be in some distress or something, but all three men seemed cheerful enough.

"How many days?" Sam asked, his attention turned to the doctor. He really didn't want to stay in the hospital. He had to hunt down Lilith, wreak his revenge, and kill the bitch. Sam wanted to make sure that she wasn't going to come back to finish the job, on neither him nor Dean.

"Uh, depending on how well you're doing. Probably a week or 2."

"2 weeks?" both Winchester boys repeated. They both added a moan into the word, while Dean rolled his eyes and hung his head in annoyance; Sam's head fell back onto his pillow, 2 weeks was a long time when you're stuck in a bed.

"Yea, but at least you get a free bed, 3 free meals, and a free pain pills."

"Yea, thanks." Sam added, signaling for the doctor to leave. The doctor took his leave, realizing that the family needed to deal with their problems.

"So it seems like the two Winchesters are in the one place they hate to be. A hospital. At least you guys can't get into anymore trouble here," Bobby leaned back in his chair, trying to stretch out his arms and legs.

Sam's eyes started to droop as he realized how hard it was to keep himself awake. He figured it was probably the pain medication, but he still fought it. He wanted to be with Dean, his brother. He didn't want his brother to leave him. Never.

"Sam, maybe you should get some sleep. You're not even supposed to be alive right now," Dean smiled at his little brother. He hadn't been that afraid in his entire life, his fear of being alone and the fear of flying combined didn't even come close.

"Neither are you, but here you are." Sam shot back, no anger residing in his voice. His eyes shot from his brother to his old friend. He wasn't sure what they were going to do next, but he had to ask the man. "Bobby, why did she try to kill me?"

"You mean instead of Dean?" Dean's head ducked down, ashamed at how his selfless act almost got Sam killed. He didn't even think for a second that Lilith would go back on her end of the deal. Had he tried to go back on the deal? Was this the punishment?

Sam nodded his response. He never looked at his brother, although he knew there would be a mask over his pained face. He knew Dean felt guilty over what happened, but he couldn't spare his feelings. Not anymore. Not now.

"I truly don't know. Maybe she was trying to get rid of the threat."

"But it was a deal. There wasn't a way for me to get out of it. Was there?" Dean's eyes turned to Bobby, begging for an answer.

"I don't think so, but maybe you did get out of it. And instead of taking your soul, Lilith went for Sam's. I really don't know," Bobby turned to Sam, knowing he was thinking about going after Lilith. "And we are not going after her. Not until you're fully healed and we actually have a solid way of killing her."

"But I can—"

"Sam, you should get some rest. You look tired," Dean chimed in. He wasn't going to go over this again. Sam was not going to use his 'powers' to kill Lilith. Ruby was probably lying. His visions were gone. And they were going to stay that way.

But at the same time, he couldn't ignore the fact that Sam had visions. Or that the yellow-eyed demon wanted him for some reason. Or that Lilith is so intent on killing Sam. Nothing seemed to add up, except that something big was happening. And it all revolved around Sam.

Sam stared at his older brother; he could see the pain in his eyes. Sam knew his brother didn't want him to be some freak with powers, but he couldn't deny what all the demons were saying. The yellow-eyed demon had big plans for him, Ruby wanted to help him defeat Lilith, and Lilith was trying to destroy him at every turn. There had to be something special about him. Right? His mother didn't die for a lost cause. His mother died because he was something more.

He complied with his brother's suggestion and closed his eyes. The backs of his eyelids lit up with Jessica's face as he drifted into a quiet sleep.

_

* * *

_

Saturday 4:23 p.m.

"Samuel Winchester! What do you think you are doing!?" Bobby gruffed unhappily at the young boy who sat at the edge of his hospital bed. Sam's feet were laced up in his boots, as his body was encased in jeans and a T-shirt. His eyes drifted to Bobby's, his shoulders shrugging a moment before returning to the laces of his shoes. Dean was going to be back in a few moments, having signed him out and the Impala ready. Sam was going 'home'.

"Sam, what did the doctor say? 2 weeks?"

"I think he said 2 days. Bobby, you goin' senile?" Sam popped a smile on his face as he joked with the older man. He knew that he should stay in the hospital until the doctors actually said he could leave, but he was in a hurry. Sam wanted to get rid of Lilith before she decides to collect her end of the bargain. Whether it is himself or Dean.

"Very funny, kid. Acting more and more like your brother everyday." The smile faded from his face as he turned to Sam, serious. "Sam, you shouldn't do this. This is some stupid idea your brother would have. Since when do you want to be like Dean?"

"Bobby, I can't just let Lilith run around. Torturing people and destroying lives. I need to stop her. Before she does anything else."

"Like what Sam? What can't wait another week or so? What? Dean's not going anywhere."

"You don't know that! No one does! I just can't lie in that hospital bed anymore. Waiting." Sam paused a moment, finishing lacing his boots and standing up to face Bobby. "Waiting for her to come and kill one of us. I can't lose Dean. I just can't. I've been trying to prepare myself for his death this whole year. But instead I've been realizing how hard it's going to be without him."

Bobby stared at Sam, not sure what to say. He knew he loved his brother and he knew this year must have been hard on him. It was so hard to watch Sam break down like that, close to tears.

"At Stanford. I had Jessica, roommates, parties, books, studies. So many things to distract me from thinking about Dean and Dad. But now. All I'll have is hunting. But that's what Dean loved to do. Don't you remember how Dean dug himself so deep into hunting that he couldn't see the sky anymore. I don't want to lose myself like that. I won't have anyone to help me, like he had me. I just can't lose him. Not without losing myself."

And with that Sam pushed past Bobby and out the door. His eyes caught Dean, who was walking towards him at the moment. His eyes were tired, while his walk was a combination of pride, confidence, and happiness. "Come on Sammy. It's time to leave this Hell hole."

"Alright, let's go."

Sam walked past Dean, not stopping until he realized that his brother wasn't following. He turned around and looked at Dean. "Dean? We leaving?"

"I thought I saw Bobby come here. I figured he was coming to visit you. He doesn't seem like the kind of guy that would hit on the hot nurse."

"No Dean, that's you," Sam smiled, shaking his head. He didn't care how annoying Dean could get, it was better than nothing.

Bobby exited Sam's room, wearing a disapproving frown on his face. He knew he could probably guilt Dean into taking a few days off from hunting, but he wasn't sure what he was going to do about Sam. Sam could get a little reckless, especially when it came to Dean.

Dean's eyes turned to Sam, trying to ignore the look on Bobby's face. It reminded him so much of his father's face. He hated that he kept thinking about all the bad things that happened with his father. All the disappointments. Dean wished that he could just remember all the good things about this childhood that didn't just involve Sam.

Sam turned his back on both Bobby and his older brother. He wasn't going to deal with what they were feeling right now. It was time for him to finish everything that started the other night.

_

* * *

_

Monday 9:23 a.m.

"Dude, it's freaking 9 in the morning. Go back to sleep," a pillow was lunched from Dean's bed towards Sam's form. He smiled at his brother's attempt to gain more sleep. It was weird, Sam was the one that was supposed to be on bed rest, but Dean was in bed more than Sam was.

"Sorry Dean. You're getting up."

"Screw you. I sell my soul for you and this is how you repay me."

"Oh, yea. That reminds me," Sam moved towards the opposite side of the room. He picked up the coffee that was laying on a nightstand. His lips touched the Styrofoam cup before he picked up a bag. "Why were you going to leave me this stuff?"

Dean's head popped up, "Isn't there some rule? That you can't go digging through the stuff someone leaves behind unless they're dead?"

Sam considered this and then shrugged, "Not in my book. But seriously dude. You left me your favorite knife. A bottle of whiskey. Some of _your_ skin mags." Sam pulled out each item as he relayed the list to Dean. He picked up the magazines as though they were evidence and he was trying not to get any finger prints on them. "And a map of the country, outlining a route from Lawrence to California, a law book, and a letter. Which states—"

"I know what it says." Dean was sitting up in his bed at this point. He was staring at his little brother, waiting for the game of 20 questions to start.

"Dude, why—"

"Because. You shouldn't have to do this anymore. You're only hunting because of me. I thought it would be better if you went back to school. Became a lawyer. I wanted you to live the life none of us could ever live."

"But, that's not what I want. Maybe before, but not anymore. I want to be with you. I want you to be alive!"

"Well I wanted to keep you alive more than I wanted to live. I couldn't live without you. Not by myself."

Sam stood up. "So what? You thought it was better for me to be alone? You were gonna leave me before I left you?"

"No. I just couldn't deal without you. It's always been my job."

"Screw your job." Sam was mad, but he couldn't really be pissed at Dean. He was trying to do what he thought was right. He was being selfish, he was being a good little soldier. He was being Dean. And that's the way it was always going to be.

"Sam. I'm sorry. But can we let this go? It's over now. I just want to go back to how it used to be. Before all this started."

Sam cooled down, sitting down next to his older brother. "Yea me too." But it wasn't going to be the same. They could never go back to that. There was too much happening at once. Sam knew it would never be the same, and he was okay with that as long as Dean was with him the entire time.

**The end.**


End file.
